Bob Iger became a Disney Legend on Sunday night, the company’s highest honor, closing a six-decade relationship with the studio just months after he handed the chief executive job to his successor. The ceremony at the Honda Center in Anaheim capped a week in which the 75-year-old executive also agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion, marking an abrupt pivot from entertainment mogul to professional sports owner.
Current Disney chief Josh D’Amaro, who took over the role in March, introduced Iger and called him one of the most consequential business leaders of his era. Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford, Ellen Pompeo, Diane Sawyer and Al Michaels followed with tributes. Ford recalled watching Iger make difficult calls while protecting the people who worked for him, and Pompeo credited his integrity and kindness as the legacy he leaves behind.
Disney insiders said Iger is the first executive ever given the Legend designation, an award created in 1987 that previously went to actors, animators and directors such as Julie Andrews and George Lucas. This year’s class also includes Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jerry Bruckheimer, Chris Berman and the Jonas Brothers.
Iger’s Disney story stretches back to 1974, when he joined ABC and eventually rose to president and chief operating officer of Capital Cities/ABC before Disney absorbed the broadcaster in 1996. He ran the company from 2005 until 2020, oversaw the purchases of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, then returned as chief executive in November 2022 to reset a business facing streaming losses and investor pressure. He stepped down this spring.
Days before the ceremony, Iger and venture investor Josh Kushner struck a deal to purchase the Lakers from Mark Walter, who had paid roughly $10 billion for his controlling stake barely a year earlier. Iger and Kushner’s combined personal fortune totals around $6 billion, well short of the sale price, meaning the purchase leans on debt and outside investment funds the NBA permits under its ownership rules. The deal still awaits approval from the league’s board of governors.
Reaction to the honor split along familiar lines. Some fans and former employees pointed to layoffs that followed the Fox acquisition as reason for skepticism, while supporters noted the ceremony has closed every D23 convention for years and reflects Disney tradition rather than special treatment.
